


a slip of the tongue

by StartledAutumn



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: alex drinks a bit too much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:07:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27845011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StartledAutumn/pseuds/StartledAutumn
Summary: He shouldn't have been drinking. Maybe then he'd have a better time keeping a secret.
Relationships: Alex & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 126





	a slip of the tongue

He hadn’t meant to say it. Those words were meant to be a private thought that nobody else was ever meant to hear. Words that could potentially make him lose everything he had and everyone he loved. And yet there he was; laying on the couch staring up at the ceiling, chest tight and heavy with anxiety due to his alcohol induced word vomit.

How stupid he had been to accept the invite for a night out. How stupid he had been to accept that first shot, and the second, and the third…

How stupid he had been to agree to sleeping over at Luke’s house. If he’d gone home he wouldn’t have just admitted out loud that he thought several of the guys at the party were cute.

If it had been just that, maybe he could’ve gotten away with it but _of course_ it wasn’t just that.

He’d gone on a full on rant about exactly _how_ cute they were.

The worst part was that Reggie hadn’t even noticed. He happily kept on talking, sharing some stuff he’d talked about with a cute girl, tone softer so as not to wake up Luke and Bobby from their slumber. Alex doubted they’d wake up at the sound of an airhorn at this point. Those two had been the drunkest of all of them, and it had been no surprise they were goners the moment their heads hit a pillow.

Alex figured he was supposed to be relieved that Reggie hadn’t noticed the masculine pronouns, but a bigger, much more dominant part of him was waiting for the realization to hit him. That expectation settled an anxiety in his chest and mind that grew and grew with each passing second that Reggie didn’t realize.

“Alex? You okay, buddy?”

Alex felt a sudden rush in his head; a wave of clarity, as if he was being pulled from water. He turned his head. “Huh? What?”

“Are you okay? I asked you a question and you just kept staring at the ceiling,” Reggie said, pointing up for emphasis. Alex didn’t know why his vision followed where Reggie was pointing; he knew exactly what the ceiling looked like.

He closed his eyes and sighed. “I’m okay. Just the alcohol.”

It wasn’t a complete lie. He’d drank just the right amount to be aware of things still, and just the right amount to amplify his anxiety. Though not little enough to have control over his words, apparently.

Reggie grinned at him, the smile on his face lopsided and teasing. “Too many drinks, huh? Just please – don’t throw up, because then _I’ll_ throw up, and everyone is gonna have a bad time.”

“I’m not that drunk, Reg.”

“Sure, that’s what Luke said too,” Reggie chuckled. “Bet he’s gonna have one hell of a hangover in the morning and have us pick up coffee.”

Maybe Reggie _actually_ hadn’t noticed. Just enough alcohol buzzing through his system for him to not have heard it. The thought quickly relieved a heaviness off of Alex’s chest. It would’ve been brought up, right? If Reggie had heard it? Surely, the change of topic meant he wasn’t thinking about it. Right?

Maybe he’d be okay.

They continued to talk for a little while longer, topics ranging from coffee orders to upcoming exams. It was at four in the morning that Alex’s rant about their creepy biology teacher went unanswered. Turning his head a little, Alex could see Reggie’s still frame, the only movement coming from his even breathing. Realizing that the boy had fallen asleep, Alex smiled softly and made himself comfortable enough to try and get some sleep of his own.

It genuinely didn’t feel like he’d fallen asleep at all, but when he was startled into a sitting position because of a pillow hitting him in the face, he was immediately blinded by sunlight.

Squinting his eyes against the brightness, he looked around for the criminal that woke him up like this. Almost immediately he was met with Luke’s puppy eyes and Alex sighed in response. There was no mistaking Luke’s ‘Can-you-do-me-a-favor?’-face. “What?”

“Can you and Reg pick up some coffee and breakfast?” Luke’s voice sounded weak, like he was feeling sick. Alex didn’t doubt he was.

“Why can’t he go alone?”

“He needs you to drive.” Oh, the misfortune of being the only one with a license. “Please?”

Alex groaned, a short complaint that didn’t mean much considering that he was already getting up. He looked around for Reggie, finding him already standing in the doorway, waiting for him. He gave a one-sided shrug. “I said he would.”

“Yeah. Fuck you for being right.”

The drive to their go-to coffee place was, thankfully, short. It was also quiet, both Reggie and Alex still trying to wake up and feeling groggy. Neither of them minded; quiet drives was something they did sometimes. It was calming.

Alex was happy his voice still wasn’t required when putting down the orders. Reggie was the one who remembered everyone’s hangover favorites. Alex was just there to help him carry it.

When Reggie nudged him in the side after a few minutes of waiting, nodding towards a newly arrived customer, every bit of anxiety that Alex felt last night came crashing back down on him.

“He looks like one of those guys you described last night.”

See, to an innocent bystander that sentence wouldn’t mean much, but with last night still fresh on his mind, it was very obvious what Reggie meant. It was one of the guys that Alex had described as cute. Reggie had been listening. He’d heard the pronouns. He knew. He… didn’t care?

Reggie’s hand was gentle on Alex’s shoulder and yet it startled him a little. Reggie looked concerned, a frown on his face as he looked Alex over. “You good?”

Alex’s mouth felt dry. “You _did_ notice?”

Normally, Reggie wasn’t the best at picking up on things being hinted at, but it seemed that this time around he knew exactly what was going through Alex’s mind. Maybe it was the anxiety that started radiating off him the moment Reggie mentioned last night.

“Yeah.”

“And it’s okay?”

“Why would it not be?”

Alex had been right. He would be okay.


End file.
